Kevin Martin feels like it was time to leave Sacramento, sort of in the same way someone heading off to college feels its time to get out of their parents house. And no, this does not mean I think Martin is moving back in to Sacramento in four years, you know, until he can get a job.

Sacramento is the first place that I had my first real job. Just like Corliss Williamson said, I was like a golden child here. To see me grow up from a 20 or 21-year old to a man these days, I always hold special memories with the community and how they love me and how much I put forth out there. It’s a sad day in that part but in another aspect, it’s time to move on….

Martin was also quick to say that he never demanded a trade and that everything was good between him and Tyreke Evans (personally it probably was, although he was clearly on the trade block because they two did not mesh well on the court).

“Me and Tyreke, we were fine. He’s gonna be a great player here. It was just one of those scenarios that if you were looking for me to average 30 and him to average 20, it’s just not gonna happen because there’s going to be nights where I had to help him and there were gonna be nights where he had to help me. We’re not gonna see that for many reasons, but I loved playing in the backcourt with him for the little time that I did and he’s the guy that I wanted them to draft here and I was very excited. I wish it coulda lasted longer, but it didn’t.”

Evans and Martin were figuring out how to play together, but Martin is a perfect fit for Houston — especially next year, if Yao Ming returns and starts drawing double-teams in the post again. That will mean a lot of open looks for one of the league’s sharpest shooters.